In some Caves and Grots we were shown by the people, we saw the vastly big and immense bodies of men in former time, which were accounted Monsters of Men or Gyants, or to verifie the matter, they believe themselves that a long time since, the Cyclops inhabited their Island. We found the People generally acute, and quick-witted, very facetious, and of a jolly temper, which suited well with the Nature of the Countrey. For to be brief, this Island is not inferiour to any other, either for its fatness or abundance; exceeding Italy in the excellency of their Grain, Saffron, Honey, Beasts-skins, and other things either for Profit or pleasure, in so much that as it was call’d by Tully the Granary of the world, so Homer call’d it the Island of the Sun, and would have us believe all things grew there spontaneously of their own accord; the salubrity of the air is very excellent, as well as the abundance of terrene sustenance, and plenty of all things necessary for mans use, and indeed may be counted the best, which it either affords naturally, or produceth by man’s ingenuity.
Wild-oats grow there, without sowing, and the Vines without planting; their Wines are most delicate, their fruit of all sorts grow with great plenty and goodness; to be short, there is nothing wanting which may not only delight the eye, but please the most critical Palat with whatever may be accounted gustful.
Being almost tired with variety of objects abroad, and being not willing to trust our Comrads at home too much, fearing the temptation of a too long absence, we concluded to return, which I perceived was no small trouble to our Mulletteer, whom we hired to shew us the Countrey, and the rather, because he could indifferently speak good English, intelligible at least, for this Rogue had not been accustomed to fare as we made him do, and therefore he had been well content to have travelled through the whole Universe at that Rate. Being homewards bound, and the day being far spent, we came to a place called Gergento, near which is the Territory of Matharuca, a small Town, in which there were but few houses; however we rode up to the best of them, and commanded our Guide to ask whether we might have entertainment there that night: The Master of the house took it as a great affront that his house should be accounted an Inn, and answered him snappishly that he might look his masters lodging where it was made a profession to accommodate Passengers on the road: he asked him, where such accommodation might be had? to which the other replyed, he knew none nearer than three Leagues.
Our Guide told us what he said, which nettel’d me to some purpose; insomuch that I could not but express some passion, and a great deal of trouble that we should be exposed to the travelling so far, and so late; which the Gentleman taking notice of, seeing by my Garb I must be a Gentleman, though a stranger, and therefore could not be ignorant of the Latine tongue so ornamental and universally useful, addrest himself very civilly to me, and desired me (in Latine) that I would take no exception at whatever had pass’d, that though his house was no Inn, yet he should be very glad to accommodate any Gentleman with a Lodging, especially in such an extremity, had he not been that very day deprived of the means by the arrival of some friends of his from Syracusa, which had filled his house excepting only one Room, which if I would not think with my friend too mean and unworthy for our reception, he should gladly spare it, and with it, what the house afforded. I tendered him in the behalf of my self and the Captain a thousand thanks, in the same tongue, though not in so quaint a dialect, being somewhat deficient in the propriety and Ideom of that noble Language, assuring him we should not be so forgetful as to prove ingrateful for this favour he was pleased to confer upon us; upon this we dismounted, and giving our Mules to our Guide we were conducted into a very handsome Rome by this Seignior de Domo, and caressed by him and his newly arrived friends as if we had been of their antient acquaintance. I could hardly forbear laughing outright to see what a confusion the Captain was in, when they spake to him, for they spake to him in their own tongue, which is a rough Italian without any sweetness, which they perceiving he understood not, they spake Latine, and then Spanish, of all which he understood not so much as to make sense, and therefore answered them in French, which none of them understood, so that when he saw the distorting of his eyes and mouth, which was shaped in a hundred forms (partly for confusion, and partly for vexation) would not interpret his meaning; he applied himself to his fingers, telling his story after such an antick manner, that as I laught, the Company had much ado to forbear bearing me company: Seeing him grow almost angry, I thought it high time to make an Apology for him, pretending that what I said, was what he would have said, but that his language was non-intelligent in the Company.
Supper, by that time we had chatted a little longer (modo Italiano) was served to the Table, and with some Ceremony seated our selves, without his Wife or Daughters, although he had both, and as I afterwards found, had such angelical countenances, that in stead of obscuring or absconding so great a lustre, he might have gloried in communicating their external perfections to our sight, which were illustrated by the adjuncts of so many transcendent concurrences of beautiful Ideas.
We did not German-like after this Evenings Repast, presently fall to drinking as if we had lately swallowed the Offals of half a dozen slaughter-houses, and now were pouring down liquor in abundance to sweeten the Funnel or cleanse the Common-shore that the filth had contaminated within us; but instead thereof we entred into very pleasant and agreeable discourse, every one having the liberty of inlarging it as he thought fit without interruption.
Among a great variety of several Subjects, that of Phantasms and Aparitions fell in our way, one affirming he believ’d that though Spirits might appear formerly, yet it would not enter into his belief that now there was any such thing; Nay, said another, methinks you may be easily convinc’d of the contrary by those Legions of stories to this purpose, so that I should think there should be some Fire whence all this Smoak comes. Said the Master of the house, if you will not believe what is contained in so many Volumes written by the Pens of so many learned and pious Divines, believe yet the reports of such as now are living, have seen Phantasms in several shapes, and have heard their terrifying noise, amongst whom I am one, and I shall tell you to my great trouble that this very house of mine is to this day, from a considerable time since, afflicted with horrible Apparitions. Gentlemen, said he, fear not, he confines himself to one Room only, and so, that he that lyeth in the next, shall be so far from being disturbed, that he shall neither see nor hear anything: and this is the Room, speaking to us, which this disturbed Fiend makes his Rendezvouz, and for no other reason I refused you Lodging, all my other Rooms being prepossess’d by those Gentlemen my Amigo’s. This shall not daunt us, said I, but we will lie there this night that we may resolve to morrow what is now much doubted.
Bidding them good night, several offer’d themselves to accompany us till morn, but we refus’d it, judging their proffer a Complement by the pallid hue of their countenances. It was not long after our departure e’re every one in the whole house betook themselves to their respective Chambers there to take their rest. My stout Captain (as I have sufficiently made appear) had no mind to take any, either for fear he should be caught napping by the Fiend, or else seeing him by flight, escape him; I was partly of his mind too, rather desiring to contend with a thousand men than one Devil. The Captain and my self sate up in our Room till we judg’d it to be about midnight, and then seeing nothing (our eyes being almost shut by sitting up so long) we went to bed, and quickly fell asleep.
Our Mulletteer (either having not filled his belly at Supper, or the remembrance of such excellent food which he had seen not letting him sleep till he had the other bout with it) got up where he lay, and having observed where the Servants had placed on a shelf a large Dish[Dish] of most incomparable food in a small Closet accompanied with several flasks of Flowrence-wine, he softly crope down the stairs, and got to this Room where the delights of his heart stood, but endeavouring to take down the dish (which proving too heavy for him to manage) slipt out of his hands, and in its fall broke down a small shelf that had a great many Pewter-plates thereon, with other rattling stuff, all which together made a fearful noise, and so great that not a Person in the house but what awak’d thereat; but such was their Courage that not one of them would stir, for they now really concluded the Spirit was come, as for my own part my Captain and self were so terrified and affrighted at this hideous noise that we now believed what reports we heard, and therefore were resolved to lye a bed, and sweat our selves to death, rather than rise in that reaking condition and endanger our lives by catching cold, as the sweat dropt from us, so we trembled that the bed shook, I am sure it was not with cold.
Whilst we were in this fearful Agony, the Rogue our Mulletteer, who listning what effects this clutting Alarm would produce, and hearing no person stirring, concluded we were all dead asleep through the whole house, fell on manfully on the Cheer that was before him, getting out some Bottles of Wine, interloyning every bit with a large soop of the bottle, having now stuft his gut and fill’d his head with the fumes of Wine, which he drank at no aim, he gets to the stairs, but the covetous and provident Rascal fearing he should be dry before morning, steps back and takes with him a flask of that wine he had already so freely drank of, and mounts the stairs softly with it in his hand, advancing to the top of the stairs, directly against which our Chamber-door stood, he stumbled upon the head of the stairs, and endeavouring to save himself and the Bottle, he raised that hand aloft, wherein it was, and falling, not being able to recover himself, dasht the Bottle against our door with so much fury, that I do not think there was a piece of the glass in the flask the breadth of a shilling, the suddain surprize of this dismal and horrid thump made the Captain start with such a leap that he fell out of the bed, bearing the Bed-staff with him which so rattled in his fall, that this added very much to the horrour that had invaded all our spirits. This noise in our Chamber confirmed the justness of their fears throughout the house, only that of our Mulletters was of a different nature; for he believing his Masters (as he call’d us) were getting up to find what was the matter, endeavoured to get down the said way he got up, but groaping with his hands, met with the shattered flask on the top of the stairs, which tumbling down to the bottom, the noise of the fractur’d glass perfectly resembled the gingling of Chains.